The Silver Soulmates
by LadyNightfyre
Summary: Serenity, Princess of the Moon Kingdom has just turned eighteen. It's time for her to marry, but, just when she finds her soulmate, he, along with her brother and their team, are called away to fight Beryl. Can she and the senshi help save them?
1. Silver Soul

"Oh, my goodness. I so do not want to attend this ball." With a sigh, Serenity, princess of the Moon Kingdom, cast herself onto her bed, golden blonde hair flying forward to cover her face. Crystal blue eyes peered out at a pair of brown ones as her friend, Rei, princess of Mars, moved the mass of silk.

"But, Sere, it's your eighteenth birthday. You have to go. Your mother has worked so hard to prepare everything. And Endymion is coming. From Earth." The dark haired girl sat on the bed beside Serenity.

"Besides, if you don't go, we can't go." This came from the other blonde in the room. The princess of Venus, Mina had hair a few shades lighter than Serenity's. Her eyes were a shade lighter as well, though, other than that, they could have been twins. Her comment earned a laugh from everyone in the room, including Ami, the princess of Mercury, and Lita, who was the princess of Jupiter. Ami had short, dark blue hair and eyes almost the same color. Lita was the tallest of the girls, with rich brown hair pulled high into a ponytail and emerald green eyes.

"Exactly," Lita concurred. She turned from where she was rummaging in Serenity's closet, holding a dress in her hand. "And I want to wear this dress. Like you promised I could."

"Really, Sere, you did promise. Didn't she, Ami?" Mina said. Ami looked up from where she sat in a straight backed chair, nose buried in a thick book.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, Serenity. You did." The princess of Mercury was quiet and shy. Her greatest passion was learning, of any kind. Serenity sighed again, loudly.

"I know. I know. It's just, well, now everyone will be expecting me to marry. Mother and the Earth king expect Endymion and I to create a union between Earth and the Moon, but you all know that I cannot do that. Endy is my friend. If we were to marry, it would make both of us miserable," Serenity said, rising from her bed and moving to oust Lita from her closet.

"We know. But, hey, maybe there will be some other eligible young prince that will catch your eye. I heard that there are supposed to be some emissaries from the constellation outposts there tonight," interjected Rei, raising her voice a little so that she could be heard over the noise Serenity was making in the closet. Serenity soon emerged, carrying four large boxes. Each one was wrapped in bright colors. She dumped the boxes on the bed.

"Yeah, I know. Draco, Aries, Capricorn, and Pisces. Each one a prince. All of them are supposed to be very handsome. Exactly the right number of princes for all of you. Of course, my brother will be there. He says he's very good friends with all of them. I haven't seen him in a year. Not since he went on duty in the Outer Rim. Any way. These are for you guys. Here, Lita. Let me take that," Serenity moved to take the dress from Lita's hand and hung it up. The other girls moved towards the bed to examine the gifts. "Here, let me." Serenity took up the boxes and began handing them out. To Mina, she gave one that was wrapped in bright yellow paper and tied with a warm orange bow. Rei received a box with red wrappings and deep purple bow. Ami got one wrapped in navy blue and tied with ice blue. Lita's was deep green and rose pink. They began opening them. Serenity waited in silence until…

"Oh, Sere! It's beautiful!" Rei exclaimed. All three of the other's echoed her sentiments. The boxes were discarded to reveal the absolutely beautiful dresses the girls held.

"Do you like them? I asked Mother to have them made for you. I though that since I got to have a beautiful new dress for tonight, you all should too," Serenity was beaming with delight at her friends excitement. "Now, come on. I have another surprise!" She turned to the door, followed by the others. They walked down a long hallway decorated with bright silver moons and golden stars. After a short walk, they stopped in front of a pair of double doors, emblazed with a huge silver moon, which covered both doors.

"What's going on Sere?" Mina asked, giving her friend a confused look. The Moon princess just gave a secret smile and pushed the door open. On the other side of the door lay what appeared to be a wonderland. Pure white marble surrounded a gently lapping pool of steaming, fragrant water. From the ceiling and from dragon statues on the wall poured more hot water. The whole room was suffused with a warm golden light. In a small alcove hung huge, fluffy towels, two for each of them, all in the planetary colors. The princesses laughed with delight and rushed in. The marble was warm, most likely through magic. "Oh! This is wonderful! How long has this been here? Why didn't we ever know?" Mina exclaimed.

"It's my birthday gift, from my brother. Isn't it wonderful? He knew how much I had been wanting something like this and he made it happen!" Serenity was laughing. They moved farther into the room and the doors slowly shut behind them. They stepped into the alcove and disrobed, hanging their clothes on the hooks provided. With a cry, Lita took a running leap into the enormous pool of water. Everyone else followed suit. Soon they were laughing and swimming, dunking each other underneath the streams of water.

"I think I love your brother, Sere. Quatre is certainly wonderful to do this for you," Rei said, laughing.

"I agree," Ami said. After a while, they finished bathing and got out, using their towels to dry themselves. The put their clothes back on, but when the other four started to leave, Serenity stopped them.

"Wait! Look!" She touched a crescent moon carving on the back wall of the alcove. The wall slid down into the floor and they stepped over it. On the other side was a large dressing room. There was a sheet of brightly lit mirrors on the far wall, along with five vanity sets, all filled with numerous cosmetics. On the closer wall were five smaller alcoves, each with a three way mirror and small dais. In the center were five more daises, A huge closet occupied one of the corners. "This was Quatre's gift to all of us!" Everyone cried and screamed a little. Suddenly, Lita noticed the time.

"Sere! We've got to hurry! We only have two hours to get ready!" A small panic set in and the girls all rushed to prepare for the ball.

Two and a half hours later, Serenity, Rei, Mina, Lita, and Ami all stood at the head of the stairs leading down into the ball room. The five princesses waited for the music to pause and the herald to begin announcing their arrival.

"Princess Ami, of Mercury," the rotund herald pronounced. Ami began her descent slowly. She was resplendent in a gown of tropical blue. The sheath was a simple halter. It was the shimmery pale fabric that covered it that made the dress unique.

"Princess Lita, of Jupiter." Lita strode down the stairs boldly. Her gown was a deep hunter green. It had a square neck, trimmed in gold, and sleeves that puffed slightly at the shoulder and tightened dramatically, ending in tapered points on the backs of her hands. The high waist was tied with a wide gold ribbon, the tails of which trailed down her back.

"Princess Mina, of Venus." Mina all but bounced down the stairs. Bright and warm, her strapless gown was a sunset orange color. The waist had a double row of clear crystals, sparkling in the light. The same crystals flared up from the bottom of the dress in what looked like shooting stars.

"Princess Rei, of Mars." Rei's descent was like watching poetry in motion. She was graceful and fluid. The fire red satin of her slinky sheath dress showed off every one of her curves. At the foot of the stairs, the four lesser princesses moved to flank each side and turned to look up for Serenity's entrance.

"Serenity, Imperial Princess of the Moon Kingdom," the herald called. Serenity appeared at the head of the stairs and began to move down into the ball room. She looked like an angel. Her floor length golden hair was bound up in two buns, which were fastened with moonstone barrettes on top of her head. The rest of her hair trailed in two tails to her knees. The hairstyle revealed the golden crescent moon image on her forehead, the sign of her right to rule. Her gown was a pure white halter top, covered with a gauzy layer of silvery material that floated away from her on an unfelt wind. Every eye was riveted on her as her feet touched the carpet at the foot of the stair and her mother, Queen Selenity, moved to her side.

The two were remarkably similar in appearance. Both wore their hair styled in similar ways. Both bore the golden moon on their forehead, and both were stunningly beautiful, with the same crystal blue eyes. The only real difference was their hair color, Serenity's was golden, where the Queen's was silver, and their height. The Queen and princess glided through the crowd and took their seats in the raised thrones on the far side of the room. They were followed by the planetary princesses, who took their places behind Serenity's throne. A cheer went up, celebrating the princess, then the Queen stood.

"Everyone! I bid you welcome to this joyous celebration! Tonight we rejoice. It is Princess Serenity's eighteenth birthday! Soon, she will be of age to begin her rule of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Alliance!" Another cheer went up. "Now, enjoy the ball!" The music began again and couples moved out onto the dance floor. Serenity's mother turned to her. "Do you see anyone you like?" Serenity rolled her eyes.

"Mother, can't this wait till AFTER the ball? You have plenty of time to get me married off, though I don't understand why it's so important. Quatre is three years older than I am, and he's not married yet!" the princess whined.

"Quatre is the general of the Moon Kingdom's armies, not it's future Queen," Selenity replied.

"I don't want to talk about it. Where is Quatre, by the way? I don't see him." The Queen gestured towards a small knot of men in a corner.

"He's over there, with the emissaries from the constellations and Earth. Go on and great him. You should meet his friends any way." Serenity smiled as she rose. She bent to kiss her mother's cheek, then moved towards her brother, the other princesses in tow.

"She's getting stronger. Even with our improvements in weaponry, Beryl's forces are getting harder and harder to contain. Our new Gundams are helping, but not enough. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask the Queen for the senshi's help," Quatre, Prince of the Moon, was explaining the grave situation to Endymion, his best friend and Prince of the Earth. He was kept from further elaboration, however, by a squeal and a flash of gold and white.

"Quatre!" Serenity exclaimed as she grabbed her beloved older brother. He laughed and returned her hug. When she pulled back, she was bouncing in her excitement. "Thank you so much for my birthday presents! They were wonderful!" The other princesses expressed their agreement.

"I'm glad you liked them, Sere. I wish I could have been there to show them to you personally, but, things are getting bad on the Outer Rim," Quatre replied, throwing his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Is it Beryl?" Serenity present herself as a little clumsy and slow witted, but really, she was very shrewd. It was her portrayed persona that gave her an advantage.

"Yes, but we'll discuss all this later. Right now, it's time for you to be celebrating! I can't believe that you're eighteen! It seems impossible. It's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Hey now! You can't keep our sister all to yourself! I haven't seen her in as long or longer than you have!" Endymion interrupted the siblings. "Where's my hug, Sere?" Serenity laughed and launched herself into his arms. She planted a huge, messy kiss on his cheek.

"I'm glad to see you, Endy! Where have you been? It isn't like I'm far away. You have no excuse for not coming to see me," Serenity admonished, teasingly.

"I know. Father has had me preparing to take the throne day and night. I never knew there was so much involved. Holding court, imposing taxes, stopping taxes, protecting the people from bandits and uprisings. It's our fault if there's a natural disaster, for Selene's sake!" The princesses giggled.

"I know. Trust me. After all you only have one planet to look after. I'm going to be stuck with the whole of the Silver Alliance!" Serenity pulled a face, which caused both her biological and adopted brothers to laugh.

"We know, Sere. Now, I have some people that you should meet. These guys are the rest of my team in the Rim." Quatre grabbed Serenity around the waist and turned her to face the other four men, whom she had previously ignored in her excitement. Endymion turned to greet the other princesses. "Serenity of the Moon, this is Trowa, of Aries. Trowa was tall and lanky. His eyes were shadowed and his dark hair was a mess. He looked as though he never smiled, though it was apparent that he would be a man of honor. He had to be to be included on her brother's team.

"Wu-fei, of Capricorn." He was slightly shorter than Trowa, and her brother for that matter, but still much taller than Serenity. His eyes had a fire in them that reminded her of Rei's. He muttered something under his breath about kingdoms ruled by women and was subsequently slapped on the back of his head by the next man her brother introduced.

"Duo, of Pisces." He was around the same height as Wu-fei, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Duo had light brown hair that hung in a rat tail down his back. His eyes held a spark of fun and mischief. Serenity liked him immediately. He lifted her hand and kissed it, which resulted in having his head knocked by her brother. Duo laughed and leered at her amicability. Quatre rolled his eyes and turned her to face the remaining member of his team.

"And this is Heero, of Draco." He was her brother's height, with a shock of brown hair that covered his eyes. Though his build appeared slight, it was obvious that, like the others, he had much power at his command. His expression was somber, till he looked up and his eyes met Serenity's. The fire burning there was passionate, but controlled. He would not be one to give his heart, or his trust easily, but when he did, it would be wild and implicit. Serenity's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, her thoughts scattered to the wind. She gathered herself, hoping against hope that no one had seen her lose it. Wrong. She saw her brother's concerned look. Ignoring it, she gestured to her friends. They stepped up beside her.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you. You must all be very good men, to be so close to my brother. I would like to introduce my ladies in waiting. This is Ami, Princess of Mercury." Ami dropped a curtsey, smiling her shy smile. "Lita, Princess of Jupiter." Jupiter gave a broad grin and swept a feminine bow, in the style of her royal court. "Mina, Princess of Venus." Mina's eyes sparkled as she gave a quick bob of a curtsey. "And Rei, Princess of Mars." Rei gave a regal inclination of her head. Endymion stepped up to rejoin the group momentarily.

"My sister wants her big brother to dance with her. If I don't, she's going to find someone else to dance with and Father's going to commit murder right here," he said. Those who know Endymion's sister Kensington and his father King EarthRose, laughed. The king's overprotective nature was well known among them.

"All right, Endy. You go keep Kensy out of trouble. I'd hate for anyone to have to clean up the blood," Quatre laughed. Endymion moved off, snatching his vivacious young sister from the arms of a young courtier before his father could see her. Quatre turned to his sister. "Care to dance, Mi'lady?" She smiled.

"Most assuredly, Mi'lord." He took her hand and began to lead her out onto the floor, before he turned back to his team.

"You guys, ask the princesses to dance. Even you Wu-fei." The other four shuffled their feet, bashfully, except for Duo, who leapt at the chance to ask Mina to dance, and Wu-fei, who only seemed angry. Soon, Lita was dancing with Trowa, Mina with Duo, and Ami with Heero. Wu-fei and Rei stood there silently, until Serenity and Quatre swept by. The siblings both gave admonishing looks to their respective friends. The dark haired couple gave each other disgusted looks, but reluctantly began to dance.

Everyone else appeared to be having fun. Mina and Duo were completely out of rhythm with the music, choosing instead to dance to their own beat. Lita and Trowa appeared to be engrossed in deep conversation. Rei and Wu-fei danced well together, though they each held themselves as far away from the other as possible. They appeared to be exchanging angry words. The Moon siblings laughed at their two friends. It was all right if they argued. There was nothing they preferred to do more. Quatre told Serenity that his friend had a slight problem with women rulers. She smiled. Rei would soon rectify that. Ami and Heero were quiet. Both of their attention seemed to be elsewhere. Their eyes never met, though they were both smiling.

"You know, Mother is trying to get my to marry already," Serenity told her brother as they swirled around the floor.

"I know. She's already talked to me about it. She wants an alliance with Earth. I told her that it would never work between you and Endy, that you were more like brother and sister, but she wouldn't listen. She thinks you would be perfect together. She's even started on me now. She wants me to marry one of your princesses," Quatre replied, taking a glance at the four girls dancing with his friends.

"Well, you and Ami always have had something special," Serenity said, looking over at Ami. "She's not really excited about Heero. Why don't you go cut in?"

"Do you think? I mean… Would she have me, if I tried? I think she's the only girl I've found who has anything in common with me. I thought that it was all one sided, though. She's grown up to be so beautiful," he was looking at Ami so intently that he backed into Duo, who happened to be behind him.

"Hey! Quatre! Wake up, man!" the other man said, stepping away before Quatre could step on him again and continuing his dance with Mina. Serenity laughed at her brother.

"You'd better get over there before you run over everyone else here. I'd hate to see what would happen if you stepped on Wu-fei," she said. He laughed.

"Me too. He'd pull out his sword, and who knows what would happen! All right. I'll do it." He relinquished his sister. She watched as he stopped the other couple. Heero let go of Ami and she went into Quatre's arms with a smile. Serenity began to move from the dance floor, but was stopped by a low voice.

"May I have this dance, Princess?" She turned, to find herself looking into Heero's Prussian blue eyes. He was holding his hand out to her. She paused for a moment, then accepted it, following him onto the floor. He swept her into his arms and they danced.


	2. Blue Soul

"Ami?" Quatre said softly, interrupting the girl's reverie. The couple was dancing to the gentle music that the band was playing. It was incredibly romantic. Quatre blamed Mina. Just a few moments earlier, as she and Duo had swayed past, the exuberant blonde had caught his eye over Ami's head and flashed her "V" for victory sign. He had seen them speaking to the band.

"Yes, Quatre?" Ami's voice was soft and rich and honey-drenched. She looked up and smiled. Quatre made the mistake of looking into her eyes and was instantly lost. They were like two pools of deep, still water. He thought he could happily drown in them.

"I… Would you… I mean…" he was stammering. He never stammered. She raised one eyebrow.

"Hmm?" Quatre gathered himself to make another attempt. He had forgotten what he was going to say.

"Would you… Ah, I need some fresh air. Would you care to step out onto the balcony with me?" He finished in a rush. Ami giggled.

"I would." He took her arm and led her out of one of the many sets of large glass doors set in intervals around the whole ball room. The balcony looked out over the gardens, where deep blue, silvery white, and dark violet roses sent their fragrance up into the air. Ami crossed to the edge and stood with her back to him, silhouetted in the light of the sun reflecting off the earth.

"You're beautiful," the words were out before he could stop them. She turned back to him, surprise written all over her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear you," she stepped closer to him, not quite believing what she had heard. Quatre smiled and reached to take her hand.

"I've missed you, Ami. Everyday since I left," he pitched his voice low, trying to convey his sincerity. She dropped her head and blushed.

"We've all missed you. You know we have," she replied softly, deliberately misunderstanding. He pulled her a little closer, taking her other hand.

"I know that. I wanted you to know that I really missed you," He bent his head over hers and touched his lips to her hair. She looked up at him suddenly.

"Quatre, what… What are you saying?" His eyes were intent when they locked on hers. She found herself unable to look away. "I'm confused." He laughed, low in his throat.

"Ami, you're never confused," he teased. Abruptly, he let her go and stepped away, turning back to look into the ballroom. "The Queen has decided that it's time I marry."

"Oh. I… Any prospects?" She looked away. The abrupt change of subject had thrown her off kilter. "I know there's hundreds of girls on every planet lining up." Ami smiled, hesitantly. He ran his hand through his white blonde hair, mussing it, as he turned back to face her.

"Well, I was hoping… I was hoping you, would give me a chance. I mean, there's really no one else I could actually see myself with. I feel like we're always been connected. Do you… have you ever, maybe, felt the same? Enough to give me the chance to court you?" His eyes were open and honest as he looked at her hopefully. "Please, Ami. I know you probably think of me as an older brother, but, just, give me the chance to try to change your mind." Though he stepped no closer to her, he reached his arms out towards her. A quiet joy spread over her features and she stepped forward. He enfolded her in his arms and she laughed softly.

"Yes. Yes, I'll give you the chance. Gladly." Quatre gave a loud, buoyant laugh and lifted Ami off of her feet, swinging her around in a wide circle, before setting her down and kissing her, tenderly.

Inside the ball room, Serenity heard her brother's laughter and smiled. "Yes!" she whispered to herself.

"What?" Heero's voice was deep and low, like a thick, dark syrup. His hands were large, they almost met around Serenity's waist. She looked up into his eyes. They were so intense that she was almost frightened. Deliberately, she smiled, attempting to mask how unsettled she was.

"My brother. Didn't you hear him? Ami must have given him the chance he wanted. It's about time," Just thinking about the new couple brought real happiness into her expression. Heero was fascinated by the light in her eyes and the lilt in her voice. This princess was gorgeous.

"About time?" He was surprised he asked. Normally, he was quiet, reserved. Something about this girl brought out his talkative side. She laughed.

"Yeah, they've been dancing round each other for years now. Both of them are so shy. Neither one of them wanted to make the first move. Now Mother's decided that Quatre and I both have to get married, so I sent him to go be a man and ask her to let him court her. At least he'll be happy," The love in her voice when she spoke of her brother and her friend was evident. Heero felt something in his heart lift to hear it.

"Good. He deserves a good woman. Your brother is a good man. One of our best. Every member of our team respects him, and that takes a lot." It was very true, Heero reflected. Though Quatre came from a basically pacific family, he was one of their best warriors. The blonde blamed his war-like proficiency on lots of hard practice. The others knew better. He fought like a demon to protect his people. Looking down at the petite woman in his arms, Heero thought he might do the same. Currently, she had taken over leading the dance, in order to move them closer to where her other friends were clustered.

"Guys!" she said when they reached the others. "Guess what!" Three pairs of female eyes turned their way.

"What?" Rei asked. Mina and Serenity exchanged a knowing look.

"He finally did it! And she said yes!" Mina guessed, excitedly.

"Sure did!" Serenity confirmed. Suddenly, the three Gundam pilots found themselves holding air, rather than their princess of choice. The princesses were jumping up and down and squealing. It was an unholy noise, but joyful. Heero, Duo, Trowa, and Wu-Fei exchanged slightly confused looks. Wu-fei clapped his hands over his ears, muttering more loudly than usual about weak women. Trowa and Heero stood there, looking stoic. Duo watched, smiling slightly. All four of the men, however, felt their spirits lift with the happiness in the girl's voices. All of them had lived alone for some time now, with no real happiness. It had been almost forever since they had heard of a union greeted with such enthusiasm.

."What happened?" Lita asked. Finally, they had stopped their noise and reverted back to common Lunarian.

"Well, you know Mother's decided that it's time for both of to get married, right? Well, apparently, she's been after him even harder than she's been after me. She wants him married, like, yesterday. He was telling me about it, and I pointed out that he and Ami had always had something. I mean, you guys all know they have." All of them nodded their heads. "Well, I sent him over to take her away from Heero over there," Serenity gestured in his direction. "And he took her out on the balcony. Next thing I know, I hear him laughing like a mad man! I'm so happy for him! And for her!" There was another storm of screams. Wu-fei, who had lowered his hands, threw them back up to cover his ears again, mumbling threats of retaliation under his breath. Duo rolled his eyes and elbowed Trowa and Heero both. Rubbing his ribs where Duo had elbowed him, Trowa decided to end the vocal torture. He took Lita by the waist and pulled her back out into the crowd for the next dance. Duo followed suit, though Mina put up a bit more of a fight. She wanted to stay and gossip with the others. Finally, he convinced her to come away, though she was pouting a little as the left. Heero extended his hand to Serenity, who took it, gracefully. She stopped for a moment to whisper something in Rei's ear. What ever it was that she said, it caused Rei to lose her temper. The dark-haired girl hurled insults after her friend, who retaliated by sticking her tongue out. As the moved away, Heero had to ask.

"What did you say to her?"

"I told her that she and Wu-fei made a cute couple." Serenity laughed. "It was the one thing sure to tick her off." Heero gave her a quizzical look.

"Why?" he asked. She laughed again.

"Because it's fun. And because it's true."

"Don't tell him that," Heero replied. "He doesn't like weakness."

"You consider love a weakness?" All teasing was gone from her voice. Her eyes became serious. She looked up at him, a small frown on her beautiful face. He tore his gaze away from that frown, to gaze over her head. He shut down, all emotion fleeing his face.

"Yes. It is." his voice was low and solemn. It seemed as though he was reluctant to admit it.

"Why?" Serenity whispered. The dance changed and she moved her hands accordingly, so that now they were pressed flat against his chest. They danced mechanically, the steps so ingrained in their minds that they did not even realize what they were doing.

"Love distracts you. It divides your attention. If you love, it means you have to protect. If someone you love were to be caught in a battle by some chance, you will worry about how to protect them. It might cause you to make a mistake, which might make you dead." He said it as though by rote, like it had been drilled into his head. Perhaps it had.

"Do you honestly believe that? Or is it just what you've been taught? I don't see how love could ever make you weaker. If I loved someone and had to fight for them, I'd fight twice as hard. I'd do everything in my power to make sure they were safe and that I could get back to them safely," Serenity's eyes were shining with a sweet fire. "Do you consider it a weakness to die doing your duty?"

"I do believe it. And yes. I would consider it a weakness and a failure to die. All of us do, except your brother, and maybe Duo," Now, he finally looked down at her, and was shocked by her passion. She was like her brother, he saw. Maybe it was something about their family. Maybe it gave them that strength, that intensity. As he spoke, he saw the sadness creep into her expression, though she tried hard to hide it from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and walked away.

The next day, the princesses gathered in their private training room. The huge room was fully equipped with everything they could need for their exercises. The floor was almost covered with sparring mats. Five punching bags hung in a row along one wall. There were several pieces of gymnastic equipment and a portion of the floor was hardwood, with a bar for dance. Currently, the girls sprawled out on the sparring mats, gossiping about Ami and Quatre.

"So, Ami, what happened last night?" Mina asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Ami, you and Quatre? Do tell!" Rei nudged the blue-haired girl with her elbow.

"Nothing happened!" Ami protested, weakly. The others laughed.

"Yeah right, Ami! I know my brother and he was walking on air! And he didn't let you dance with anyone else last night! And how do I know, you may ask? Because Endy told me so. So, quit holding out on us and tell!" Serenity interjected. Ami blushed fiercely.

"Well, go ask your brother then!" Ami said.

"But we don't want to ask Quatre!" Lita argued. "We want you to tell us!" After a few more moments, Ami relented and told them what had occurred.

"Oh, how romantic!" Serenity gushed, teary-eyed.

"That is sweet!" Rei smiled.

"I knew it!" Mina gloated.

"Never knew he had it in him!" said Lita, hugging her friend. "Congratulations girl."

Ami, a little embarrassed by all the attention, said, "Shouldn't we be training? From the way the men were talking, Beryl's forces could conceivably break through our lines on the Outer Rim. If that happens, the four of us need to be prepared to defend Serenity." She indicated the four planetary princesses. They all groaned, but stood. When Serenity joined them, Rei tried to wave her back down.

"What are you doing, Serenity? The Moon Princess doesn't fight! Why would you need to train?" The other princesses showed their agreement.

"I want to learn to fight. I don't want to stay behind and be safe while all of you risk your lives to protect me! If I am going to rule over the Silver Alliance, I'm going to help protect the people who live in it." Though her friends argued, she brushed their protests away. Hearing Heero's opinion on love, and having made her own arguments had steeled her resolve. Finally, the others gave up and they settled down to train. Lita and Mina went to the punching bags, Rei moved off to the dance floor and bar. Soon, music was pouring into the room. Ami squared off with Serenity on the sparring mats. Though Lita was the strongest fighter among them, her style was more offensive. They had decided to let Ami teach her defensive fighting first.

They had been working for almost an hour when Quatre's voice echoed through the room. He entered, followed by the other pilots. "Serenity! What do you think you are doing?" he yelled. Serenity took her eyes off of Ami to look at her brother and was knocked to the ground by an attack Ami was unable to stop in time. Serenity looked up at Quatre and Heero, who had, by this time, reached her. They did not just tower over her, they loomed.

"Oh… Um… Hey there, big brother! I was just um… I…" She tried to think of an excuse as she took Quatre's outstretched hand and he hauled her roughly to her feet. She almost fell when he released her, but Heero caught her around the waist in time to steady her.

"You were learning to fight, weren't you?" Quatre asked as he moved past her to take Ami into his arms. He pressed a kiss on top of her head. "Why were you teaching my sister to fight?" he asked her indulgently.

"I have to learn, Quatre. I am to be Queen of the Silver Alliance. I won't spend my life cowering behind others," Serenity argued. She broke free from Heero, who had not released her, though she had not noticed it. Heero appraised her with growing respect as she marched up to her brother and looked up at him, standing her ground.

"Sere, it's our job to protect you. Your life is more important than any of ours. If you were to be killed, no one would be able to use the Silver Crystal. Without you, the magic that allows life on, not only most of the planets, but the moon, would end. Billions of our people would die. You have to let us protect you," Quatre pleaded. Tears filled Serenity's eyes.

"You don't think I know that? It weighs on me every day. The burden of all those lives is a heavy thing. It's one of the reasons I have to learn. What would happen if all of you were killed, Selene forbid? Or what if I get separated from all of you somehow? I need to be able to defend myself. Don't you see?" Ami left Quatre's arms and moved to stand beside Serenity.

"It's true, Quatre. We can't be with her at all times," the blue-haired princess said. Heero, who had come up behind them, nodded, adding his support, when Quatre looked at him. By this time, everyone else had heard the conversation. They all moved over to them, adding their support to Serenity's cause. After a moment's indecision, he gave in.

"All right! All right!" He threw his hands up in the air. "Teach her. But do it right." He turned to Serenity. "No one is going to go easy on you. If you're going to do this, do it. If not, you're wasting all of our time." She smiled, her whole face lighting up with pride.

"I won't let you down, Quatre," she said softly.

"I know," he replied. "Now, let's get started. We pair off for sparing. Trowa and Lita, Duo and Mina, Heero and Serenity. Ami, you're with me. That leaves Wu-fei with Rei."

"I will not fight this woman!" The comment was loud in the sudden drop of the music. Everyone turned, flabbergasted, at Wu-fei, who had made the comment. He was busy giving Rei an angry glare, which she was too shocked to return. Suddenly, she began laughing. She laughed until she could no longer stand, dropping to her knees on the mat. Trowa, Duo, Heero, and Wu-fei exchanged confused looks. The women and Quatre, however, wore wary expressions on their faces. They knew that this laughter was just the calm before their normally combative Rei's storm. The laughter ended as abruptly as it had begun. Rei's leg flashed out and smashed into Wu-fei's knees, dropping him. It was his turn to wear a shocked expression as she got up and stood over him.

"And just who, exactly, do you think you are?" she asked.


	3. Red Soul

Thanks for all of the reviews! I'm really excited with this story and it's development. Keep 'em coming! Disclaimer: I own neither Sailor Moon, nor Gundam Wing.

The other Gundam pilots were laughing at him, though some were hiding it well. Heero and Trowa's faces were, as usual, impassive, but there was a suspicious gleam in their eyes. Quatre had turned away, with his hand over his mouth and shoulders shaking. Duo was openly laughing, bent over, hands holding his knees. Scowling, Wu-fei reached out with his leg and kicked Duo over. The fool hit the floor laughing. Ignoring the desire to further injure his fellow pilot, Wu-fei turned to the beauty who had put him on the floor in the first place. She stood over him, hands on her hips, dark hair flowing down her back, and eyes flashing with proud fire. He would never admit it, but he was beginning to admire her. She was not as weak as these other women.

"And just who, exactly, do you think you are?" The sound of her voice told him that he might be in for far more trouble than he had previously thought. He got to his feet, ignoring Duo, who was still rolling on the floor, laughing.

"I am a strong and honorable man. I will not dishonor myself by fighting a woman," he replied in his most superior voice. Without warning, something struck his face with almost blistering force. He recoiled, then regrouped to look around at the others. Rei was shaking her hand. He had not even seen her move, much less hit him.

"You know," she said in a conversational tone, looking him dead in the eyes, "I should slap you again for making my hand hurt. But, I wouldn't want to give you any more brain damage than you obviously already have." Rei regarded him as though he were a particularly ugly insect that she wanted to squash. The others were laughing again as the raven-haired beauty turned and glided back to the dance floor.

"Whoa, Wu-man! You sure have a way with the ladies!" Duo yelled from his prone position on the floor. He rolled to his feet as Wu-fei stomped towards him, narrowly avoiding a foot to the stomach. "If you keep up like this, you'll have her eating out of your hand!" He jumped and thrust Mina between him and Wu-fei, when the smaller man advanced. The petite blonde spun around, forcing Duo in front of her.

"Oh, no, you don't! If he beats you up, well, you brought it on yourself!" she laughed.

"But, what if he kills me?" Duo asked, attempting to duck behind one of the others. None of them were having it.

"Don't worry, baby," Mina cooed, patting him on the head when he got close to her again. "We'll protect you."

"Yeah, but who will protect you?" he said, spinning around to tackle Mina to the floor and tickle her. Wu-fei, frustrated and more that a little angry, have a huge huff and stalked away. He began taking out his frustration out on a convenient punching bag. Duo let Mina up.

"Well," said Serenity, "That could have gone better."

"You think?" Lita asked sarcastically. She looked over towards Rei, who was dancing fiercely to some kind of salsa beat. "I would throw my hip out if I tried that." The others followed her gaze.

"It looks like fun!" Serenity exclaimed. "I bet it's more fun with a partner, though." A crafty look crossed her face, looking out of place on her innocent features. "I wonder…" Ami and Quatre saw the look before any of the others.

"Wonder, what, Sere?" Quatre asked, studying his sister's face carefully. "What's going on in that sneaky little head of yours?"

"What exactly does Wu-fei have against women?" she asked, abruptly. Everyone fell silent, except for Heero.

"He believes them to be weak," Heero said quietly. "He thinks it would dishonor him to best a warrior who is not as skilled as he is."

"I wonder if we could prove to him that Rei is a force to be reckoned with, even without her…" Serenity broke off abruptly. No one knew the identity of the senshi that comprised her inner guard. It was for everyone's safety. Now, she had almost revealed them.

"Without her what?" Trowa questioned, sharply. Serenity thought quickly.

"Without her being a Gundam pilot," she said quickly. Trowa gave her a searching look, but subsided, letting the answer stand.

"I doubt it," Quatre answered. "But, we could try."

"How would you go about convincing him?" Duo asked. "I mean, he's as stubborn as this floor." He stomped on the mat in demonstration.

"Do you think he would agree to spar with Rei?" Mina asked, guessing where Serenity was going with this. The four pilots all looked at each other, exchanging glances of trepidation.

"I have no idea," Heero said. "It's possible."

"Well, you four go talk to him," said Lita, catching on. She indicated the four Gundam pilots. "The rest of us will go catch Rei." Everyone nodded their agreement and they separated.

Heero grabbed the punching bag Wu-fei was currently pulverizing. He supposed it was better than having the dark haired man pulverize Duo. "Hey, man," Quatre, the most diplomatic of the five, tried to soothe Wu-fei's ruffled feathers. "Quit picturing Duo's head on that bag for a minute. We have a proposition from the ladies." Wu-fei turned to look at them.

"What?" he asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"You and Rei spar. If you win, well, you've proved your point. If you loose, no more comments about women being weak. What do you think?" This came from Duo, who had gotten brave enough to stop hiding behind Quatre. "Personally, I think you two are pretty evenly matched." Trowa shot him a quelling look, but apparently, Duo knew exactly what buttons to push in order to get the right reaction from Wu-fei.

"Me, matched with that weak, WOMAN! I think not. I refuse!" Wu-fei yelled, then turned back to the bag. He began giving it rapid little jabs while Heero held it. Though he would never admit it, there was something about that woman that made Wu-fei nervous.

"You're not scared, are you Wu-fei?" Duo asked. Wu-fei went absolutely still and silent for a moment, then turned slowly.

"I will fight the woman," he said quietly, stalking past the other pilots, though he took the time to pause and knock Duo on the back of the head. The other men followed him, though Duo was rubbing his head and muttering under his breath about men with PMS.

"Rei, Rei! Rei!" Lita yelled. The other girl continued dancing, ignoring her. Ami skirted around them and moved over to the music stand. She waved her hand over the sensor, letting it read her intentions, and the music stopped. Rei danced on for a few seconds, finishing her series of movements.

"What?" she asked, irascibly. Her body was still moving to the music in her head, though she was not aware of it.

"Do you want payback?" Mina asked. Rei's eyes snapped to her, and then moved to encompass the others. A wary look crossed the dark haired girl's face.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked cautiously. Serenity answered.

"We all know you want to hammer Wu-fei into the ground," she said. Rei's eyes lit up.

"Well… It does sound like fun. But what am I going to do? Jump him? I don't think so."

"Actually," Lita said, "we're trying to get him to agree to spar with you. If you win, no more comments about weak women. If he wins, well… you'd just better not let him win. We'd never hear the end of it." The girls laughed.

"You're right. OK. I'll do it!"

"Yes!" Mina and Serenity jumped into the air.

"Go Rei!" Lita yelled, shaking her fists in the air. Serenity and Ami just smiled at her. They saw the men heading in their direction and moved to meet them halfway.

Everyone gathered in a ring around Wu-fei and Rei, who squared off, facing each other. They circled each other, making feints towards one another. Without warning, Wu-fei launched a powerful kick towards Rei's head. She dodged it, laughing, and returned a kick of her own, aimed towards his midsection. He caught her leg and attempted to use her momentum to flip her. She instead, used his extra push to launch into a midair twist, landing on her feet. Wu-fei gave a feral grin. Rei returned it, a savage enjoyment of the coming battle bright in her eyes. Now, it began in earnest. They closed in, arms and legs flashing so quickly that they were only a blur. Wu-fei managed to pin her with her back to his chest for a few moments. They paused, using it as a small breather. "Ready to give in, woman?" Wu-fei asked, hiding his surprise at how good it felt to have Rei pressed against him. She laughed and stomped her foot down hard on his. Swearing savagely, he released her and she sprang away.

"Never," Rei replied. She attacked him with renewed ferocity, trying to fight off her sudden, bizarre attraction to the arrogant idiot. They continued to struggle with each other and their growing attraction until… Wu-fei pinned Rei to the floor, laying his entire body along hers to keep her captive. She fought against him, to no avail. He stared into her eyes ad took note of the fire burning there. This woman was all heat and passion, and he knew in that instant that she was meant to be his.

Rei, staring into those flaming black eyes, was having the same thoughts. He was strong and dominate and determined, some one she could fight with and know that her victory was hard earned when she won. They fit each other. Neither one realized that he was lowering his head until their lips met. The fire ignited both of them and they were lost, until they heard the catcalls.

"Woo hoo!"

"Wu-man!"

"All right!"

"Go Rei!" The two got to their feet slowly, Wu-fei wrapping his arm around Rei's waist possessively as they stood. They gave the other eight identical glares. Duo ducked behind Trowa reflexively, but peered around him when he saw no one else move. Without a word, or relenting on the combined force of their glares, Wu-fei turned, arm still around Rei and walked out of the gym, pulling him with her.

After they exited, everyone relaxed, laughing. The princesses dropped to the ground, they were laughing so hard. "Oh, we are all in so much trouble!" Mina said when she caught her breath.

"Yeah," Duo agreed. "Now, instead of one evil glare, we have two to contend with!"

"Oh, Selene!" Serenity exclaimed. "You're right! We're dead!" The women began to get up and the men rushed to help them. Quatre scooped Ami up into his arms. When she thumped him, he put her down.

"Oh, you wanted to stand?" he joked. Ami rolled her eyes, but pressed a quick kiss to his lips and allowed him to put his arm around her waist. Trowa took Lita's arm and Duo lifted Mina. Heero took Serenity's hand and pulled her to her feet. As she stood, however, she tripped and stumbled against his chest. His arms came around her automatically, to keep her from falling. The protective feeling that flooded him, though, was completely new. He released her, abruptly. She stumbled back a little and gave him a hurt look. That one look hurt him more than he wanted to think about, and that fact surprised him more than anything. He raised his hand, as though to touch her face, but dropped it and turned away.

"Heero," Serenity whispered behind him. He turned back towards her. A single tear tracked down her face. This time he did step forward to wipe the tear from her cheek.

"Don't ever let me see you cry, Serenity. Not if someone other than me has caused it. I won't kill myself over it, but I might kill someone else," he said softly. He bent to press his lips to her hair, then turned quickly and walked away.

Outside, Rei led Wu-fei through the hallways and out of the palace. The garden she chose for them was more rock than anything else, though there were a few huge trees covered with white blossoms and a red flowering plant with fleshy leaves. Instead of fountains, there were fire pits everywhere, sharp and angular, with clean lines and colored in bright yellow, red, and black. The architectural features were pagodas copied from some of the most well known temples on Mars. The couple walked in silence until Wu-fei could no longer stand it. He released Rei's waist, only to take her shoulders and turn her to face him. He locked eyes with her and said only one word, "Soulmate." She nodded her head, all of a sudden shy.

"Yes," was all she could say.

"You're the one I've been waiting for, the one I've been dreaming of. I could never see your face, but I heard your voice." He raised his hand to cup her cheek. "Rei, I should have recognized your voice." She covered his hand with her own.

"We should have recognized each other," she said softly.

"You're right. But, we've found one another now," he replied, pulling her into him until she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You don't want to love me," she whispered. She sounded scared and vulnerable, but Wu-fei knew that his Rei would want nothing less than honesty.

"No. Any enemy could use you against me. It's a distraction, a weakness I can't really afford." Rei began to pull away from him, but he tightened his hold on her. "But, I'll be damned if I allow anyone or anything to take you away from me now. I can't. I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone. Not now that I've really held you and kissed you." He stroked her hair and pressed kisses against it.

"We'll fight," she warned. He laughed and, after a moment, she joined in. "Well, I guess that is the fun part."

"Yeah, it is. I could never respect a woman who wouldn't stand up to me," he mumbled into her hair.

"And I would never put up with a man who was a pushover." He laughed again, the low rumble vibrating against her cheek where it was pressed against his chest. "Let's walk," she suggested, pulling free and grabbing his hand. Rei led Wu-fei around the garden, pausing to pick one of the red flowers and twine it into her hair.

"This place is beautiful," Wu-fei said when they stopped to sit beside one of the fire pits. Rei smiled.

"Thank you. When the other princesses and I came here from our own planets, Queen Selenity gave each of us our own private garden and allowed us to landscape it." She waved her hand over the small fire and watched as it formed itself into a rose. "Each of us has an affinity for an element. Mine happens to be with fire, so I used it in my design."

"I see. I would never have guessed you had an affinity for fire. You're so cool and collected. Not hotheaded at all." She chuckled and elbowed him. He took the elbow good naturedly. "What are the other girls' affinities?"

"Well, Ami's is ice and fresh water. She swims like you wouldn't believe. Lita's is the storm. She actually plays with lightening. Can you believe it? Mina is actually a descendant of a goddess of love. All of the royal family from Venus is. That's why she's so good at matchmaking. Serenity has light and justice as her strengths, though she doesn't really need them. She has the senshi."

"Who are the senshi?" he asked suspicion dawning in her mind. Rei thought quickly.

"No one really knows, or, if they do, they're not telling. All anyone actually knows is that there is a senshi from each planet in the Silver Alliance. No one has seen them for generations, but they always appear when there is great danger to the Moon Kingdom's royal family. They are Serenity's protectors. I imagine we'll be seeing them soon."

"Hmmm… How are they chosen, I wonder?"

"I don't know. The legend goes that each senshi has been reborn in hundreds of lifetimes, that their spirits lay dormant until the senshi are needed, then, the senshi, along with their soulmates, are reborn." Rei turned her back towards him and he drew her back to lean against him.

"Soulmates?" Wu-fei asked, curious. She smiled.

"Yeah, according to legend each one of the senshi has a soulmate, a forever love that is reborn with them every time they are reincarnated." He pulled her tighter.

"I wouldn't mind being reborn, as long as I could find you in every life," he said, kissing the top of her head. She sighed.

"Me either."

"Don't the senshi have elemental powers?" Wu-fei asked.

"Yeah, they actually share their elements with us. They're pulled from our planets. Each Royal family is bound to their planet, so we can all draw on them to some extent. The senshi are supposed to be the element. Sailor Mars is fire, for example."

"That's interesting. I guess we had better go in now," he said reluctantly, standing and pulling Rei to her feet with him. They meandered through the garden and back inside, setting off to find the others. The couple found them in front of the doors of the Queen's audience room.

"What's going on?" Rei asked. "Where's Serenity?" Mina looked at her with worry in her eyes.

"The King of Earth has come for a visit. Without Endymion," said the blonde. "Queen Selenity called for Serenity just a little while ago."

"Oh no," Rei whispered. "The Queen's arranged it, hasn't she? She is going to force Sere and Endy into a marriage neither one of them want." The princess of Jupiter nodded her head in conformation.

"We're afraid so." Suddenly, the door opened, just wide enough for the tiny Princess of the Moon to slip through. There were tears pouring down her face, though she had plastered on a smile.

"Well," she said, fighting the trembling in her voice. Heero, who had rejoined the group stepped to her side, though he did not touch her. "Well, I am engaged. Endy and I are supposed to be wed in just a few days. In the presence of the Soulmate Binder."


	4. White Soul

Thanks for all of the GREAT reviews! It means a lot to me! Keep it up please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, or Gundam Wing!

"In the presence of the Soulmate Binder," Serenity said, somberly. The princesses gave a collective gasp.

"No, Sere!" exclaimed Rei.

"She can't do that!" Lita cried. Mina and Ami moved forward to wrap their arms around their weeping princess. Serenity just nodded, attempting to regain her composure. The Gundam pilots, with the exception of Quatre, who looked to be as shell shocked as his sister, had confused looks on their faces. Duo asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to, but did not want to ask.

"What is the Soulmate Binder?" Quatre answered softly, anguish for his sister and friend plain in his voice.

"It is a magic crystal, something like the Silver Crystal. It has the power to bind two souls together. If the Binder is activated in the presence of two soulmates, weather they are aware of their soul-bond or not, it will bind their two souls together. If only one half of a soul-bond is present, the Soulmate Binder will bind that half of the couple to the soul the activator intends." Heero, who had moved back to allow the girls access to their princess, joined in.

"Does that mean that it can bind Serenity and Endymion against their will?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. When my mother activates the Binder, it will be with the intention of binding Sere and Endy. If neither of their true soulmates is in the room with them, it will bind them to each other." Quatre led the men away from the women, catching Ami's eye and gesturing to her as they left. She nodded and began guiding Serenity back to the princesses' wing of the palace.

"What, exactly, is a soul-bond, and what does a binding do?" Trowa asked, looking back over his shoulder towards Lita. This time, Wu-fei answered the first part of the question.

"Soulmates are broken halves of the same soul. Most people hold an entire soul. Some souls, however, become split somehow, and are born into different people. All twins are born that way, though, because they bond in the womb, they are free to fall in love. Soulmates like Rei and I, however, will never love anyone else. She is literally my other half. Now that I've found her, I'm complete."

"But, what does the binding do?" Trowa asked again.

"The Soulmate Binding was originally intended to bind souls like Wu-fei and Rei's. Over the millennia, it has been used to cement unions with the Moon Kingdom and form the Silver Alliance. It can form a semblance of a soul-bond between two entire souls, or make two halves of different soul-bonds fit, like forcing a square peg into a round hole. It can put the two pieces together, but it can't force them to match. There will always be something missing. When the binding is complete it gives the bonded couple the abilities of telepathy and empathy with each other. Each person can actually read the other's thoughts. They can also draw on each other's strength, both physical and magical," Quatre answered. The men had reached his wing of the palace and were gathered in his conference room.

"What happens if one of their soulmates happens to be in the room when the Binder is activated?" Heero asked, leaning forward in his chair, chin resting on his fisted hands, elbows on the table. His Prussian blue eyes were intense as he looked at Quatre.

"Well," the blonde answered, sensing that Heero was hiding something. "The Binder would pull together the real soul-bonded pair. It always chooses the best fit."

"Would it bind any other soul-bonds in the room, or just the intended pair?" Duo asked, his mind flicking to Mina for a moment.

"When it's activated, the Binder will unite all true soulmates in the room. The only people who could possibly be bonded in the wrong way are the intended," Quatre said.

"There has to be a way to stop this!" Duo leapt up, knocking his chair over, ad began pacing the room. "Serenity deserves better than to be forced to marry against her will!"

"We'll never change the Queen's mind," Wu-fei said, pounding his fist on the table. Quatre sank lower in his chair, defeat written all over his face.

"What if we could find Serenity's true soulmate?" Trowa asked quietly. Every one went still and silent, but Trowa's eyes were on Heero. Though his features were impassive, Heero's thoughts were racing.

"The only one who could know Serenity's true soulmate would be Serenity, or her soulmate himself," Quatre interjected. Trowa ignored him, never breaking his stare at Heero. All of a sudden, Wu-fei realized what he had missed in his excitement over Rei. He joined Trowa's careful observation of Heero, but spoke to Quatre.

"Quatre, do you have a soulmate?" Wu-fei asked.

"Of course I do! Ami…" Quatre stopped, realization dawning on him.

"And I have Rei," Wu-fei continued. "Who are the Sailor Senshi, Quatre?" The blonde shut his mouth and shook his head, but his eyes were guilty. Wu-fei pressed him further, hoping to force the truth from him. "Who are they?"

"The princesses!" Duo exclaimed suddenly. "The princesses are the Sailor Senshi! That's why they were training! I couldn't figure out why a princess would need to know how to fight! Now it makes sense! But that makes Mina…" he stopped short. Trowa finished the sentence for him.

"Mina is Sailor Venus. Lita is Sailor Jupiter. Quatre, your Ami is Sailor Mercury, and Wu-fei, your Rei…"

"Is Sailor Mars. I had already guessed. She told me about the legend of the senshi and their soulmates." Wu-fei turned to the three who had never heard the story. "Each of the senshi has a soulmate that is reborn with her, every time she is reincarnated."

"So, you're saying that Mina is actually my soulmate? That's why we bonded so quickly? That means that Lita belongs to Trowa, right?" Duo asked, excitement spreading over his features. "But where does that leave Sere…" Heero interrupted him.

"Serenity is mine." His voice was low and deadly. "I will be there that day. No one is going to take her away from me."

"Do they know? The girls, I mean. Do they realize what we are?" Trowa asked. Lita's ace flashed in his mind and for the first time, he felt hope. She was strong and sweet, with a love for life and a loyalty that he envied. Besides all that, she was intensely beautiful. They had talked the first night they met and instantly connected. At first, Trowa had thought it was all one sided on his part, but if Lita was his soulmate, then she must feel the same. He found himself smiling. Looking around at the others, he could see that they all had the same smiles on their faces, except for Heero. Trowa could understand the stormy look on Heero's face, however. Selene help any man who tried to come between any of them and their soulmates, now that they knew.

"Rei does, I think," Wu-fei said in answer to Trowa's question.

"What about the others?" Duo asked.

"Ami might have some idea, but as for the others, I have no idea. I'm sure they feel the pull of the soul-bond, as we do. They just might not have connected it to the legend yet. The only reason Rei and I realized our connection was that she is so connected with the sacred fire of her home planet. An ember of it burns in her personal garden," Wu-fei added.

"I want to find Sere," Quatre said. "Endy will probably be arriving on the Moon shortly and we need to talk to both of them." Heero clenched his fists until they were white and almost growled. "No, Heero," Quatre tried to calm him. "Endy is just as much a victim of this thing as you and Serenity are. He doesn't love Sere that way and never has." Heero loosened his fist slightly.

"I won't really feel at ease until this is all over," he said quietly.

"Well, you're not the only one. We have to be realistic guys. My mother won't stop with Serenity and Endymion. Endy has four generals, Jadeite, Malachite, Zoysite, and Nephlite. She's going to try to untie Earth with the other planets in the Alliance and the best way to do that is through marriage. Just wait and see. She is going to arrange marriages between the senshi and those generals. Then she's going to marry me off to Kensington," Quatre responded, dejection filling his voice again.

"No," Heero broke in. "I won't allow it. Serenity is my soulmate, the light to my darkness. I didn't want to fall in love with her. I didn't want anyone to be able to use her against me. But not now. She's my other half, and no one, not even a meddling mother, will take her away from me."

"I dare someone to try to take my Rei against her will," Wu-fei chuckled softly. "She's more than any man other than me will ever be able to handle." His voice sobered. "And if whatever man she's paired with tries anything with her, I will kill him."

"You guys don't understand. If they are ordered by the Queen to marry these generals, they will have no choice. I will have no choice! They will marry me and Ami off to different people!" Quatre cried.

"Queen Selenity might not even have arranged the other marriages. Serenity didn't say anything about it!" Duo's voice was hopeful.

"You're right," Quatre said, pulling himself together. "No use borrowing trouble when we have enough already. Let's go find the girls." He stood and walked from the room, the others following his lead. When they reached Serenity's rooms, however, the women were not there. "They're probably in their private gardens," Quatre told the others. "The entrances to the gardens are down that hall." He gestured vaguely in the direction of a long hallway. "I'll go find Serenity." He began to walk through the doors to Serenity's quarters, but Heero stopped him.

"Let me. Go to Ami." Quatre paused for only a moment, then nodded his agreement and set off after the others down the hallway. Heero watched him go, then stepped through Serenity's apartments and out the other side, into her private garden.

Serenity's garden had been made to resemble a park on Earth. There were wide swathes of neatly trimmed, bright green grass, dotted with occasional patches of colorful flowers in pink, yellow, and blue. There were several large, low, spread-branched trees scattered in with the flowers, and raised paths made of pale sand and paved with white pebbles cut across the lawns. There was a pond in the center of everything, spanned by a complex bridge that looked as though it had been spun from white and pink sugar. That was where he found Serenity. She was leaning over the railing, a pink flower cupped in her hands, over the water. The long white skirts of her gown and the twin tails of her golden hair streamed out behind her in the wind. Heero took one step onto the bridge and paused, struck by how beautiful she was. Then, gathering his courage, he went to her side. She continued to stare out over the water, so that he thought she was oblivious to his presence.

"My brother explained to you what was going to happen, I presume," she said suddenly, allowing her flower to fall from her hands and turning to face him. Though she was no longer crying, her gorgeous eyes were red.

"He explained a lot of things, about both soulmates and the Soulmate Binding," Heero replied quietly. He moved closer to her. "You know that he and Ami are soulmates."

"Yes. Rei and Wu-fei are as well." She sighed sadly. "I'm happy for them."

"We think that Trowa and Duo are Lita and Mina's soulmates," Heero said, trying to lead into what he was going to say gently. A smile crossed her face, though it did not reach her eyes. She was so brave, he thought, and genuinely caring. It was obvious that she was hurting: the look in her eyes was breaking his heart, but she tried to be happy for her friends. She might not be as fiery as Rei, as strong as Lita, as intelligent as Ami, or as obvious a leader as Mina; but her quiet strength and her genuine love was somehow greater than any of them. She had so much more to deal with than any of the other four. Yes, they were princesses and senshi, but Serenity was The Princess. She would one day rule them all.

"Wonderful!" she forced happiness into her voice. "All of them deserve it. I hope… Well, I hope everything will be all right."

"It will be," Heero assured her. "None of us men are going to let our soulmates be taken away from us." He waited for his choice of words to sink in. He saw hope flash in her eyes before it was replaced by an even greater sadness.

"Oh, so you have found your soulmate then? Congratulations. Who is she?" Serenity dropped her head and he saw a single shinning tear impact the wooden slats of the bridge. When she raised her head again, she had pulled the mantle of her royal composure around her. She stood taller, straighter, her eyes almost completely veiled. Serenity appeared to have gotten over him quickly. Heero knew better. The glistening track of wetness down her cheek told her lie.

'She's the most beautiful, most special woman in the entire galaxy," he said, stepping closer to her. Anger flashed in her eyes and she covered it quickly.

"What is her name, Heero? And when will the binding ceremony be preformed? I would like to attend." He smiled.

"The ceremony could not take place without you." This time, Serenity, could not contain her anger.

"I don't understand you, Heero! Why are you trying to hurt me?" She struck his chest, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. She struggled, in an attempt to get loose, but he did not slacken his hold. Instead, he buried his face in her hair, whispering her name.

"Serenity, Serenity, Sere, it's you! You know what we are. I love you. I love you. I love you…" After a few moments, she stopped struggling, subsiding into sobs. She fisted her hands in his shirt and sagged against him, crying violently. He just held her, rubbing her back and whispering how much he loved her into her hair. Finally, she stopped and pulled back to look up at him. He smiled at her, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. "Did you really doubt me?" Heero asked. She nodded.

"You- you said that love was a weakness, a distraction. Of course I doubted you. I knew the connection was there, but I couldn't make you see it, not if you didn't want to. What changed?"

"I am still afraid you will be a distraction. Beryl's forces could take you and use my feelings for you against me," he told her, watching the instant withdrawal in her eyes. She moved to take a step from the circle of his arms, expecting him to release her. He did not.

"Then why, Heero? Why put me through this?" her voice was breaking and she hated it. She was the Princess of the Moon. She was supposed to be strong and do her duty. Marrying Endy was what she had been called to do. They were friends, they could coexist. They might never be happy, but they could make it. Why did she have to share a soul-bond with Heero, who thought she was nothing more than a weakness? Obviously, Selene had a sadistic streak.

"Because I dare anyone or anything to try to take you away from me now." His hand was gentle when he lifted her chin, though his eyes were anything but. They were fiercly passionate when they met hers. "I've finally found you, Serenity. You're my light, my warmth. Before you I did my duty, because that was what I had been trained to do. You were right when you said that the other night. I was trained to do my best, to kill, to eliminate the enemy by any means necessary, in order to protect my people. But I had no heart. I would die for those under my command. Every single one of them know it, which is why we can work so well together. But that was only because it was what I had been trained to do, not because I cared. You, you're the sweetest, most loving person I've ever met. You cared enough about a cold, callus killer to tell him that you were sorry he thought love was a weakness. Don't you know how special you are?" He caressed her face and slowly lowered his lips to hers. The rush was instant, though not unexpected. It was like coming home. They fit together exactly right. Her arms slowly came up around his neck. When they broke apart, she rested against his chest.

"What are we going to do?" she asked sleepily. He chuckled and scooped her up off her feet.

"Right now, I'm going to take you to bed. You're exhausted." He heard a soft sound and looked down. She was already asleep. He carried her back to her rooms and tucked her into bed, brushing a kiss over her forehead before he left her. Heero decided that he would visit the library. He wanted more information on the Earth's royal family and it's generals.


End file.
